Foldable ironing board



y 1939- G. T. RIETER 2,157,675

FOLDABLE IRONING BOARD Filed March 17, 1938 Inv E nt nr. BustaveT. ter

l 31 fitturnegs.

Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 17,

2 Claims.

My invention refers to foldable ironing boards, and it has for its primary object to provide means for horizontally adjusting the elevation of the board to compensate for different heights of said board, whereby it is conveniently positioned for work.

Another object of my invention is to provide means in conjunction with the usual angular supporting strut of the board, with means for locking lo the supporting end of said strut, whereby the board is held against swinging movement, up or down, when the board is positioned for work at a predetermined elevation.

With the above and other minor objects in View, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts thereof, as hereinafter defined.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary sectional elevation of a supporting panel and ironing board, embodying the features of my invention, parts being in section to more clearly illustrate structural features.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional detailed elevation, the section being indicated by line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar detail cross sectional elevation, the section being indicated by line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a detail enlarged plan view of a locking clip.

Referring by numerals to the drawing, I indicates the back wall of a cabinet, which is normally encased within the side wall of a room, and 22 indicate the side panels of the same. The side panel is provided with a vertically disposed channel 3, which terminates at its upper end with a series of forwardly extended notches 3. The inner end of the ironing-board 4 is provided with a transversely disposed strip 5, terminating with supporting trunnions 5', which trunnions are adapted to engage the channel 3 by one of the series of forwardly disposed notches 3, whereby the elevation of the board may be selectively determined, it being understood that this board trunnion permits swinging of the board to its closed position within the cabinet, or to its outwardly extended working position, as shown.

Secured to the bottom portion of the panels are blocks 6, which in eifect are simply reinforcements of the panels, and these blocks are provided with a series of horizontally disposed grooves 7-1, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3. These grooves are open at their mouths for the reception of a transversely positioned foot 8,

1938, Serial No. 196,432

which foot may be selectively adjusted in any one of the series of grooves, it being understood that the grooves correspond in their distance apart to the distance between the offset notches 3' of the channel.

The usual angularly positioned board-supporting strut 9 is provided, the same being in hinged connection at its upper end to the board intermediate of its length. The lower end of the strut 9 is secured to the foot 8 by a hinge ID, as shown in Figure 1. The supporting foot, hingedly carried by the strut, is locked by any one of the grooves by a spring jaw II, and tangs of which jaw automatically engage locking lugs l2, which are associated with each groove, as best shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when it is desired to raise or lower the horizontal working position of the ironing board, the trunnions of the same are pulled forwardly from the vertical channel into the desired notch 3, and the foot 8 of the supporting strut is manually slid into the grooves of the blocks 6 corresponding to one of the locking notches 3. Hence, the board can be quickly raised or lowered by manual operation, and when the foot of the strut 9 is pushed into position, it is frictionally locked in said position by the spring jaw or clip ll engaging the associated lug 12. While this friction locking mechanism is desirable, obviously it may in some instances be dispensed with, due to the fact that when the strut foot is slid into position, it will lock and hold the ironing board from swinging either up or down, due to the fact that the grooves are positioned at right angles to the pivotal locking notches 3'. Hence, if the end of the board is raised or lowered, the force will be resisted by the transversely seated foot.

It will therefore be observed that the board is locked by a simple mechanism at any predetermined elevation in the proper horizontal position, and when so locked the strut or associated parts cannot be inadvertently freed, whereby the board will collapse.

While I have shown the board mechanism associated with an alternate base, obviously this mechanism can be employed in any type of ironing board, and where the board is not of the builtin type, the panel sides will form the main support or legs.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. A foldable ironing board comprising side panel supports having vertically disposed channels terminating at their upper end with a series of forwardly extended locking notches, a series of horizontally disposed open-mouthed grooves at the base of the channels, an ironing board having trunnions at its inner end adapted to selectively engage said panel channels and locking notches,

a brace strut hingedly secured to the board at a panel supports having vertically disposed channels terminating at their upper end with a series of forwardly extended locking notches, a series of horizontally disposed open-mouthed grooves at the base of the channels, an ironing board having trunnions at its inner end adapted to selectively engage said panel channels and locking notches, a brace strut hingedly secured to the board a predetermined distance from its trunnioned end, a tarnsversely disposed supporting foot hingedly secured to the bottom end of the strut for selective engagement with the transverse panel grooves, and means for resiliently locking the foot in the grooves.

GUSTAVE T. RIETER. 

